Bin dispenser



Dec. 1, 1959 D. E. UMS'TEAD 2,915,162

BIN DISPENSER Filed June 4, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

Donald E. Umszead ATTORNEY.

D. E. UMSTEAD BIN DISPENSER Dec. 1, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 4, 1959 Dec. 1, 1959 D. E. UMSTEAD 2,915,162

BIN DISPENSER Filed June 4, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 =FF=:5 E

INVENTOR. 45 Donald E. Umsfeaa United States Patent BIN DISPENSER Donald E. Umstead, Youngstown, Ohio Application June 4, 1959, Serial No. 818,108

Claims. (Cl. 193-27) This invention relates to a bin dispenser and more particularly to a dispenser for cylindrical containers in which a plurality of such containers may be positioned for self delivery to a convenient forward delivery area thereof. a

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a bin dispenser formed of a plurality of superimposed tray like members each of which includes track formations for guiding cylindrical containers through the assembly in a vertical zig zag pattern.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a bin dispenser for cylindrical containers and comprising two or more tray like sections which may be assembled by vertical stacking to form a bin dispenser of desired height and capacity.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a bin dispenser wherein a plurality of tray like members each of which includes a plurality of transversely spaced sections are stacked in superimposed relation to form a plurality of transversely spaced bins each of which includes vertical zig zag track configurations extending from the uppermost to the lowermost of said assembly of tray like members. I

The bin dispenser disclosed herein comprises an improvement in the art relating to like devices which have heretofore been used for shelf displays of various cylindrical objects incluring spools of. thread, jars of baby food and cans of spices and the like. Such bin dispensers are usually found in retail establishments of the self-service type and efiiciently receive and hold retail stocks of cylindrical items and deliver one item at a time to a forward lower delivery position. Such bin dispensers provide for the maximum-utilization of shelf space in a supermarket and overcome the difiiculties experienced in stacking or otherwisearranging supplies of merchandise in cylindrical containers; 1

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the inventionresides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a bin dispenser formed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a side view of the lowermost section of 'the bin dispenser shown in Figure l, and

Figure 3 is a top plan view thereof, and Figure 4 is a front end view thereof.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of another portion of the bin dispenser shown in Figure l, and

Figure 6 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 7 is a vertical section on line 7-7 of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a vertical section on line 88 of Figure 5.

2,915,162 Patented Dec. 1, 1959 By referring to the drawings and Figure 1 in particular it will be seen that a bin dispenser has been disclosed which forms two horizontally spaced vertically positioned bins each of which is capable of receiving a plurality of cylindrical containers. The lowermost body member generally indicated at 10 includes right and left side sections 11 and 12 each of which is provided with longitudinally spaced upstanding portions 13 and 14. An intermediate vertical section 15 is positioned midway between the side sections 11 and 12 and is provided with longitudinally spaced upstanding portions 16 and 17. The side sections 11 and 12 and the intermediate section 1 15 are held together by an integral bottom member 18 which has cutaway areas 19, 20 and 21 in each portions thereof between the side sections 11 and 12 and the intermediate section 15. The side sections 11 and 12 and the intermediate section 15 have forwardly projecting portions 22, 23 and 24 respectively which are inturned and therefore oppositely disposed with respect to one another and which in effect form upwardly curving end portions of the bottom members 18. Thus cylindrical containers, such as jars of baby food, when positioned on the bottom 18 on either side of the intermediate member 15, can and will roll from the left end, as shown in Figure 1, to the right end which is the front and delivery end of the device. The bottom 18 is inclined by reason of different height legs 25 and 26 which are formed as downturned extensions on each of the side sections 11 and 12 respectively.

By referring now to Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings a side, top and a front view of this lower body member 10 of the bin dispenser may be seen in detail and it will be observed that an upwardly curved back portion 13 of the side portions 11 and 12 have projecting slot defining formations 27 thereon and that the upper ends of the upstanding portions 13, 14 and 16 and 17 have tapered extensions 28 thereon. It will also be observed that the bottom 18 curves upwardly and that a portion of the same extends across the upper back portion, the left hand end in Figures 2 and 3, so that the sides 11 and 12 and the intermediate section 15 are joined to one another thereby.

By referring again to Figure 1 of the drawings it"will be seen that three alternately reversed secondary body members are positioned in superimposed relation on'the lowermost body member 10 just described. Thesethree superimposed secondary body members are identical and one is shown in detail in Figures 5, 6 and 7 and 8 of the drawings. In Figure 1 of the drawings the lowermost one of these secondarybody members is generallyin dicated by the numeral 28A and includes oppositely disposed side sections 29 and 30 and an intermediate upstanding portion 31. The rearmost portions of the side sections 29 and 30 and the intermediate upstanding por tion 31 are provided with upstanding 'end'portions 32; 33 and 34 respectively. The upper ends of each of which are provided with tapered vertical extensions 35. The forward or right hand end portions as seen in Figure 1 are curved upwardly as at 36, 37 and 38 and each has a slot defining formation 39 thereon. Each of the secondary body members 28A has a bottom 40 therein, areas 41, 42 and 43 of which are cutaway, as best seen in Figure 6 of the drawings, so that the remaining portions join the opposite ends of the secondary body member 28A and intermediate portions join the sides 29 and 31 with the intermediate upstanding portion 30 as heretofore described.

The secondary body portion 28A has three depending hollow legs 44 thereon inwardly from the forward or right end thereof as seen in the drawings and which hollow legs are adapted to register with the tapered vertical extensions 28 on the upstanding portions of the body 3 Inember lfl. Thesecondary body member 28A also has a plurality of depending lugs 45 thereon which are adapted to engage the slot defining formations 27 on the body member 10. Itwill be ,observed that ,the formation of ;the secondary body member 28A is such that when a duplicate thereof is positioned thereon in reverse end to end relation thereto, the hollow legs 44 and the lugs .45 respectively engage the tapered extensions 35 and the slot defining formations 39 so as to secure the several body members in assembled relation.

In Figure 1, the lowermost oneof the secondary body members is indicated .by the numeral 28A. The secondary body member thereabove is indicated by the numeral 46 and the uppermost secondary body member is indicated by the numeral 47 so that the bin dispenser shown in Figure 1 comprises thefirst body member 10, as seen in Figure 2 of the drawings and the three secondary bodymember 28A, 46 and 47 asseen in Figure 5 of the drawings. It will be observed by those skilled in the art that as many of thesecondary body members may be used as desired and that cylindrical containers positioned in the uppermost one of the superimposed assembly will roll as in Figure 1 from the right to the left drop through the opening 41 be received by the bottom 40 and then roll to the right where it will drop through the opening 41, be received by the bottom 40 and then roll to the left, drop through the opening 41 and be received by the bottom 18 of the body member where it will roll to the front (the right hand end), and engage the inturned ends 22, 23 and 24 and be held in delivery position. Subsequently positioned containers will fill the bin dispenser and the removal of the cylindrical container in the foremost delivery position adjacent the inturned ends 22, 23 and 24 will automatically permit the cylindrical containers to move forward one position thus continually placing another cylindrical container indelivery position as long as the supply lasts.

It will thus be seen that each of the bin dispensers is formed of a plurality of superimposed tray like members each of which has registering formations and each of which is so devised that it communicateswith the one therebelow and the one thereabove to receive cylindrical articles from the one thereabove and deliver the same to the one therebelow with the exception of the lowermost body member 10 which delivers them to delivery position. It will occur to those skilled-in the art that while two bins in side by side relation are shown and described the invention contemplates the formation of the bin dispenser with a plurality of intermediate sections so thata number of bin sections may be formed through the assembly of a plurality of the tray like body members 10, 28A,,46'and 47. For example, the side portions 11 and 12 of the body member 10 may have two, three, four or more intermediate sections 15 therebetween with the same number of intermediate portions 31 formed on each of the secondary body members.

It will thus be seen that the bin dispenser disclosed herein meets the several objects of the invention and having thus described my invention,

What I claim is:

1. A bin dispenser for cylindrical objects and comprising a first body member having an inclined bottom, vertical sides, and at least one vertical intermediate partition therebetween, a plurality of secondary body members positioned in superimposed relation thereon, each of said secondary body members having an inclined bottom, oppositelydisposed vertical sidewalls and at least one partition intermediate said side walls, bottom in each of said secondary body members having an opening in one end thereof through which cylindrical containers positioned therein may drop to the body member therebelow.

2. The bin dispenser set forth in claim 1 and wherein said vertical sides of said first body member have oppositely disposed upstanding portions adjacent one of their ends. i

3. The bin dispenser set forthin claim 1 and wherein said vertical sides of said first body member have upstanding vertical extensions adjacent one of their ends and wherein each of said vertical side walls of said secondary body members have upstanding sections adjacent the .ends thereof in which said openings are formed. V

4. The bin dispenser set forth in claim 1 and wherein said first body member has inturned ends formed on said vertical sides at one end thereof and defining a delivery position for said cylindrical objects.

5. A bin dispenser for cylindrical objects, comprising a plurality of superimposed tray like bodymembers each of which has vertical sides and a bottom and the lowermost one of which has legs positioning the same with said bottom on an incline, said lowermost body member having its higher end portion curved upwardly and having a pair of vertical extensions on its side adjacent its lower end portion, each of said body members above said lowermost body member having vertical extensions on their sides adjacent one of their ends and having their opposite ends curved upwardly, bottom portions of said last mentioned body members having openings between said verticalextensions so that cylindrical objects positioned thereon will roll longitudinally thereof and drop through saidopening, said last mentioned body member-shaving socket defining formations and projections engaged on onefanotherando'n' said vertical extensions on saidlowermost bodymemberl References Cited in the iilev of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,981,783 DeBussey Nov. 20, 1934 2,427,958 Gibson Sept. 23, 1947 3,790,526 Donnelly Apr.-30, 1957 

